Nursery World - Innovative services

In Barrow in Furness, for example, Sure Start has set up a 'Chatterbox' scheme to help parents communicate with their children to prevent language delay. Health visitors and playgroups refer children identified as being at risk. 'It's a different way of working from the traditional speech and language therapy service,' says Lynda Hassall. 'The parents work in groups supported by extra therapists who are employed by Sure Start. The outcome is that the groups continue to meet and support each other. It's very important to facilitate this. It's what we're about.' The Barrow in Furness programme, which supports 1,000 children, has set up 50 projects run by local people - either on their own or in conjunction with the team - to meet the Sure Start objectives (see box below). It has also trained 20 local parents to act as community support workers.

The Barrow in Furness programme, which supports 1,000 children, has set up 50 projects run by local people - either on their own or in conjunction with the team - to meet the Sure Start objectives (see box below). It has also trained 20 local parents to act as community support workers.

'Co-ordinated by the team, they help with craft activities at Chatterbox. They also give family support in a crisis, when a child is ill or a mother is stressed, or if a child is re-introduced to a family after being in care,' explains Lynda Hassall. 'They play with the children, pass on ideas for activities and take them out to give parents some time alone.' Matched to the families by the Sure Start team, and paid on an hourly basis, these community workers are seen as less threatening than social workers.

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